The Faculty Lounge

Stayin' Alive

"Stayin' Alive" was written by the Gibb brothers for the 1978 movie Saturday Night Fever, for which it was kinda perfect even for those of us (including me) who never liked disco (looking at you, Alex). It wasn't nominated for an Oscar that year -- maybe the Academy also disdained disco -- but it won four Grammys in 1979. In 2004 was listed by Rolling Stone as number 189 of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. In a 2021 update, it was ranked 99, which is pretty strange for a song that was released 43 years earlier. I have no idea what happened to the 90 songs it jumped, not to mention all the new music recorded in the 17 year interim. Unsurprisingly, most of the covers are by female vocalists, and they are not all disco.

Anyhow, I figured it wouldn't hurt include one disco number after all these years. The iconic Travolta clip is at the bottom of the post.

Dani Garavelli on the case for drug consumption rooms

The London Review of Books has the story:

The Thistle is the UK’s first Safer Drug Consumption Facility (SDCF). Ryan is a regular there. He wasn’t its first customer – three men raced one another to the door on 13 January – but he comes often enough to have claimed injecting booth eight in what looks like a chorus-line dressing room, with bright lights and tilted mirrors so the nurses can supervise users without intruding on their privacy. . . .

The most powerful argument for SDCFs is this ability to prevent fatal overdoses, something particularly important in Scotland, which has the highest rate of drug deaths per capita in Europe (1172 in 2023). In the UK, where drugs are a criminal justice issue and governed by the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, such centres are controversial. It took ten years to get this one off the ground. But there are some two hundred SDCFs in other countries, including Canada, Germany, Norway, the Netherlands and Australia. Different countries have different models: standalone facilities, hospital-based facilities, housing-based facilities and mobile facilities. Some are more medicalised than others. Studies suggest that as well as preventing deaths they also lower transmission rates of HIV, reduce ambulance callouts and A&E visits, and shift drug consumption off the streets. Deaths at SDCFs are very rare; I could only find evidence of one, in Ontario last October.

Happy Fourth

I've been posting these and other versions since 2018.

Here is an a cappella version by the Acoustix:

There is a vocal with more distinct lyrics at the bottom of the post (h/t Alex Lubet).

I've been posting these and other versions since 2018.

Here is an a cappella version by the Acoustix:

There is a vocal with more distinct lyrics at the bottom of the post (h/t Alex Lubet).

CFP: 20th Annual Colloquium on Scholarship in Labor and Employment Law

This just in:

Professor Doron Dorfman and Professor Tim Glynn are thrilled to host the 20th Annual Colloquium on Scholarship in Labor and Employment Law (COSELL) at Seton Hall Law School on September 19-20, 2025! 

The Call for Presentations and further information regarding transportation and lodging can be found here. 

Please note that the deadline for submission of abstracts is July 15, 2025. 

For information about COSELL, please visit its official website.

We highly recommend staying at the Tryp Hotel for COSELL (which is also the cheaper option). Here is the information from the website for booking:

The Tryp by Wyndham Newark Downtown is located at 24 East Park Street, Newark, NJ 07102. The hotel is offering a special rate of $139.00 + tax per night. The Tryp is located within walking distance of the Law School and in close proximity to Newark Penn Station and Newark Liberty International Airport. Please contact The Tryp directly at +1-973-642-7100 and reference "Seton Hall Law" in order to make your reservation at the promotional rate.

We are thrilled to celebrate two decades of meaningful scholarly engagement in work law and to welcome you all to Newark/NYC in September.

Opposition to ABA Proposal On Experiential Learning Requirement

For those who haven't been following the story on the  ABA Legal Ed Council Proposes To Double Experiential Learning Accreditation Requirement To 12 Credits, this post at TaxProf Blog is a good way to get up to speed. Some commenters are (appropriately) skeptical of the proposal for a number of reasons. Brian Leiter pointedly says:

If the Council does not withdraw this ill-considered and inadequately justified proposal, then it really will be time to seek alternative accreditation agencies for law schools, ones that respect both law students and the academic freedom of law faculties to plan different courses of study.

I especially found Derek Muller's comment informative and recommend that you read it in full. 

Hiring Announcement: University of Kansas School of Law

From a recent email message:

 

The University of Kansas School of Law invites applications for both entry-level associate professor and lateral tenure-track/tenured professor candidates for three positions to begin in the fall of 2026: (1) Criminal Law; (2) Health Law; and (3) Constitutional Law. Secondary areas of curricular interest include Administrative Law, Immigration Law, Jurisprudence, and Conflict of Laws. We invite a plurality of scholarly agendas, methodologies, and perspectives, ranging from traditional doctrinal to empirical to critical-analytical to interdisciplinary scholarship.

 

KU Law ranks among the top 50 law schools in the nation and lands at #24 among public law schools according to recent U.S. News & World Report Rankings. Law faculty are active scholars, researchers, and subject matter experts in their fields. KU ranks #19 among public law schools for scholarly impact.

 

KU’s excellence is a result of the rich tapestry of experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds of our faculty, staff, students, and colleagues from across our nation and the globe. KU invests in continuous learning and growth by creating a climate where people engage in respectful dialogue and debate and support each other’s success. We foster a culture of care where each person is seen, heard, and valued. When people feel a true sense of belonging, we believe they are better able to reach their full potential and achieve remarkable things.

 

Applicants must possess a J.D. from an accredited U.S. law school or equivalent degree and must demonstrate strong scholarly potential and a commitment to excellence in teaching. Tenured lateral candidates must also have a demonstrated outstanding scholarly career and a history of effective teaching and substantive service. The successful candidate must be eligible to work in the U.S. by the effective date of the appointment.

 

Review of lateral applications begins August 5, 2025. Review of entry-level candidates will begin August 21, 2025. Review of applications will continue until the positions are filled. Initial interviews will be conducted via Zoom. We will review candidate materials posted in the AALS Faculty Appointments Register (FAR), and invite applications from candidates not participating in the FAR. Applications must be submitted online at:  

• Criminal Law
• Health Law
• Constitutional Law

A complete application should include a cover letter that specifies subject matter teaching interest(s), a CV or resume, a detailed statement of research interests/future plans, a writing sample, and the names of three references. Materials such as teaching evaluations or additional samples of scholarly work may be requested of candidates later. For the fullest consideration, candidates not participating in the FAR should apply by August 5, 2025.

 

Contact:  Professor Kyle Velte, Chair, Appointments Committee, [email protected]  

 

KU is an EO/AAE, full policy at http://policy.ku.edu/IOA/nondiscrimination

 

Heather Gerken Named New President of Ford Foundation

The Ford Foundation has announced that its new president will be Yale Law Dean Heather Gerken.  Gerken, who will replace Darren Walker in the position, takes over in November 2025.  She holds a JD from the University of Michigan. 

Hiring Data Collection

Over at Prawfs, Sarah Lawsky is collecting information on hiring committees and hiring plans for 2025-26 here.  Per Sarah:

I will aggregate cleaned, standardized information submitted through the form, emailed to me, or gathered from other sources (such as public hiring ads, posts on the web, social media, etc.) in a downloadable, sortable spreadsheet. You cannot edit this spreadsheet directly. To provide this information, fill out the Google form or email me.

 

Hiring Announcement: University of Montana Blewett School of Law

From a recent email message:

UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA BLEWETT SCHOOL OF LAW

Location: Missoula, MT

Subjects: Contracts and Legal Writing

Start Date: August 17, 2026

The Alexander Blewett III School of Law invites applications for two tenure-track positions to begin Fall Semester 2026. One position will focus on teaching in the primary area of Contracts, Business Associations, and Business Transactions, while the other will concentrate on Legal Writing. Additional curricular needs include Copyright and Trademark Law, Employment Law, Family Law, Introduction to Intellectual Property Law, Insurance Law, and Pre-Trial Litigation. We are committed to integrating theory with practice. Therefore, practice experience in the areas to be taught is particularly valuable.

Required qualifications include: Juris Doctorate degree from an ABA accredited law school; Superior academic background; Significant relevant practice experience; Demonstrated record of or potential for effective teaching; Demonstrated record of or potential for scholarship; and the ability to work collegially with students, staff, faculty, and external constituencies of the law school.

Applications must be made electronically through the University of Montana’s Interfolio system. Please submit applications based on the area you are most interested in teaching:

· Contracts, Business Associations, Business Transactions, and related courses: https://apply.interfolio.com/169681

· Legal Writing and related courses: https://apply.interfolio.com/169680

Confidential inquiries may be made to Professor Jonathon Byington, Faculty Appointments Committee Chair, by email: [email protected].

Situated in Missoula, the recreational center of Western Montana, the law school has a vibrant faculty and a close connection with our students, the bench, and the bar. Missoula is a wonderful place to live and work and is home to a wide range of renowned writers, artists, musicians, and outdoor enthusiasts. Our mission is to prepare students for the people-oriented practice of law by integrating theory and practice in a competency-based curriculum; serve as the academic legal center in Montana; and contribute to the development of national, state, and tribal law and legal institutions through teaching, scholarship, and service. We are interested in applicants who wish to join us in furthering our mission.

Happy Canada Day

Now more than ever.

 

Organ Donation On The Taboo Trades Podcast I

The most recent episode of the Taboo Trades Podcast, on Imminent Death Donation, was so successful that it reminded me of all the prior episodes dedicated to organ donation. So over the next couple of weeks I’ll be highlighting some of those, explaining why each one contains an important and meaningful message in case you missed them.

First up is the most listened-to episode of the podcast, which was even highlighted on the public radio program, With Good Reason. It features the Israeli sociologist, Hagai Boas, a four-time organ transplant recipient and the author of The Political Economy of Organ Transplantation, published by Routledge. Professor Hagai Boas is the Director of the Science, Technology, and Society Cluster at the Van Leer Jerusalem Institute.

This episode has been a favorite primarily because of the moving detail with which Hagai discusses his third transplanted kidney, which he purchased on the black market. As he says in the podcast it was either buy on the black market or die:

It was very difficult then and it is still now. And I knew that I'm doing something which is wrong. I'm still thinking that it is wrong. There is no way that I want to rationalize that in any way. It was awful, it was abusive in a way. It was difficult, and I had no choice but to do it. And I'm not covering or laundering it in any way. I bought an organ. This is the invisible scar, let's say, that’s been accompanying me since then.

Listen to the whole thing here or in the embedded player below (or apple, Spotify, etc).

 

 

John C.P. Goldberg Named Dean of Harvard Law

Harvard University has announced that Harvard Law's interim dean, John Goldberg, will be its permanent dean.  Goldberg holds a JD from NYU, an MA in Politics from Princeton, and an M. Phil in Politics from Oxford.  He took over as interim in March 2024.  I may be wrong, but it appears that he is only the second dean in the school's history who did not study law at Harvard. (Martha Minow received her JD from Yale.)  

Todd Pettys Named Dean of Iowa Law

The University of Iowa College of Law has announced that Todd Pettys will be its next dean effective July 1.  He has been serving as interim dean since January. Pettys joined the law school in 1999 and holds a JD from the University of North Carolina. 

Mark West Named Provost of Wash U

Washington University in St. Louis has announced that University of Michigan Law Professor Mark West, the Big Ten school's dean from 2013-23, will be moving to Missouri to become the new provost of Wash U, effective August 1. West holds a JD from Columbia University. 

We're Not Coal Miners, But We're Workers

New York State is set to implement the Fashion Workers Act, a piece of legislation championed by the Model Alliance, a group that aims to remake the modeling industry. The New York Times has the story:

[The Act] grants models basic workplace protections such as meal breaks, overtime pay and formal mechanisms to report harassment. It also includes protections against discrimination based on race, gender, age and sexual orientation, among other characteristics, and it has language about the ownership of digital replicas created by artificial intelligence.

“As a model, your job is to appear effortlessly glamorous — you’re supposed to appear not to be working at all,” Ms. Ziff said. “I know we’re not coal miners, but we’re workers, and we deserve to have basic rights and protections on the job.” (emphasis mine)

The legislation, and the quote, struck me, as I've lately been thinking a lot about providers of goods and services who are often not recognized as "working:" plasma donors, Phase I medical research subjects, and sex workers. As I say in Repugnant Work: 

As previously noted, scholars, courts, and regulators have struggled to clearly define work, instead identifying a set of characteristics or contrasts (between work and, for example, leisure or idleness) that supposedly distinguish it from other activities. . . and tends to incorporate a set of characteristics, including that work involve effort, that the effort be deployed toward some goal other than enjoyment, and that it provides some sense of meaning and community. As discussed in Parts IV-V, this definition has been applied to the three RIGA addressed by this chapter to conclude that they are not work, and certainly not meaningful work, as those terms are understood in the literature.

Critics reject this traditional definition as a “folk conception” of labor. This folk conception, which embodies implicit assumptions about which activities are sufficiently difficult or socially valuable to be treated as work, is more than a mere classification. Instead, it is a normative judgement “about the role that the activity appropriately plays in our practical lives.” For this reason, claims that a new or socially marginal activity is work will be controversial, or even nonsensical, to some observers because it suggests that these activities possess the same level of social and individual importance as other activities that we accept as work.

Anyway, that's just a short bit-- read the whole thing here. 

UVA President Jim Ryan Resigns Under Trump Pressure

That's the story from The New York Times:

The Trump administration on Friday secured perhaps the most significant victory in its pressure campaign on higher education, forcing the resignation of the University of Virginia’s president, James E. Ryan, over the college’s diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. . . .

The Justice Department had targeted the University of Virginia for at least the past month. But 10 days ago, government lawyers tasked with enforcing federal laws issued a stern warning to the board overseeing the University of Virginia that the school needed to act quickly. The department informed the college of multiple complaints of race-based treatment on campus, and of the government’s conclusion that the use of race in admissions and other student benefits were “widespread practices throughout every component and facet of the institution.”

“Time is running short, and the department’s patience is wearing thin,” the letter, dated June 17, said.

The letter was signed by Ms. Dhillon and Gregory W. Brown, the deputy assistant attorney general for civil rights. Both are graduates of the university. Mr. Brown, as a private lawyer, had previously sued his alma mater, and Ms. Dhillon overlapped with Mr. Ryan during their time as students at the University of Virginia School of Law.

Jim Ryan's message to the UVA community (which includes me) is reprinted in full below. You'll have to click on the popup link, since Typepad refuses to allow photos to be posted properly these days. 

Update: I give up trying to get photos to post to this platform. From now on I'll skeet them and embed those here. That seems to be the only way

 

Jim Ryan's message to the UVA community

[image or embed]

— Kim Krawiec (@kimkrawiec.bsky.social) June 29, 2025 at 1:33 PM